From Hoofbeats to Dogsteps

Born to a loving and educated New England family, Rachel Page Elliott, known to all as Pagey, was encouraged to develop her interests and talents wherever they would lead her. And lead her they did, to a life-long fascination with animals, first to horses, then to dogs. Each passion created adventures and opportunities that make her life story so fascinating.

With a growing family and a farm in the country, Pagey bred and competed in a wide range of dog sports with her “Featherquest” Golden Retrievers. Her interests led her to the scientific study of canine structure and movement and ground-shaking research that changed, and is still changing, widely-held beliefs about how dogs move. Curl up with this reminiscence of the life of a woman ahead of her time in her independence and passionate study of her interests and be inspired to follow your own instincts to live life more fully! Click here to view an excerpt.

What reviewers are saying...

GILBERTS’ K-9 SEMINARS NEWSLETTER
“This is a rare beautiful love story of a life devoted to love of animals, people, husband, family and puzzles. Pagey as she is called by her many friends all over the world is one who defied and still defies convention. Her parents let her be free — and free she was — a tomboy with her horses. Born in the early 1900’s Pagey accomplished things unheard of for a young girl and a young woman — in what was then considered a mans world. God loves her and provided her protection in her many adventures. Her inquisitive mind and desire to learn and then to teach others drove her to become one of the top authorities in the world on canine structure and movement. Her desire to base her research on scientific principles to shatter the conventional dogma made Pagey controversial in the dog world. Some elements of the dog world still resist Pagey’s work in cineradiography, or moving X-rays, of bones and muscle movement inside the dog as dogs moved at varying speeds on a treadmill. They fall back on old wives tales based on the mistaken notion that horses and dogs move the same. Pagey teaches and writes about breed specific structure and movement. Based on her strong principles, instilled by her parents and her church, she drove forward challenging the generic dog concept. Pagey blazed trails of knowledge and love for animals in a world that in her early life was dominated by men. After her marriage, her husband encouraged her to continue her passion for animal in general and Golden Retrievers in particular. Even today in her high 90’s Pagey continues to contribute to the knowledge of canine structure and movement. Her accomplishment in horses and dogs is matched in the world of puzzles. Read the book for that amazing puzzle part of her life. Her love shines through from every page — you will be a better person for reading and sharing her love of life, family, friends, people, horses, dogs and puzzles.”